In the Dark
by rjs0123
Summary: RoryFinn: “And that doesn’t make you question your sanity? I would think that trusting me would be more evidence of an unstable mind than loving me would be.” Oneshot.


**In the Dark**

It was midnight when Finn poked his head out of the door. This in and of itself was not unusual, because it was a well known fact that Finn functioned infinitely better at night. He was fully dressed and had a bag slung over his shoulder.

He crept to the middle of campus, and approached the shadowy figure sitting on the pre-arranged meeting bench. Finn stepped on a twig and he flinched as it snapped. The figure whirled.

"What took you so long?" The loud voice was distinctly feminine.

"Sorry, I lost track of time."

"I thought you were standing me up."

"Why would I do that? This was my idea."

"Yes, about that…why are we sneaking around like this, again?"

"Rory…" Finn sighed.

"Next thing you know, we'll be establishing a code and secret passwords," the sarcasm in Rory's voice was painfully evident.

"Good idea," Finn perked up, overlooking the thick mockery in which she had doused the suggestion. "How about this: when I scratch my right ear, it means call me. If I scratch my left ear, it means I'll call you."

Rory laughed in spite of herself. "You are such a goof."

Even though Rory couldn't see him in the completely blackness of the night, he flinched. "Ouch." He paused and grinned. "You know you love me."

"Yeah, and I'm starting to question my own sanity."

"Would you like me to call up the nearest institution?" Finn asked, always the gentleman. "I hear they have great accommodations – coats with extra long arms and rooms with padded walls."

"Oooh, padded walls? Sounds classy," Rory observed between giggles.

Finn chuckled and grabbed her hand, yanking her to her feet. "Come on! We've got to go!"

Laughing Rory ran along with him.

They quickly reached the black SUV and Finn automatically hopped in the driver's seat. Rory glared at him as she climbed into the passenger seat. "Why do you always get to drive?"

Finn grinned at her as he started the engine. "I'm the designated driver."

"Of course you are," Rory scoffed playfully. "You are the least sober person I know."

"What does being sober have to do with it?"

She sighed dramatically as Finn eyed her. "Oh, very well. I trust you."

Finn just continued to eye her – and it was very disconcerting especially considering the fact that he was driving. "And that doesn't make you question your sanity? I would think that trusting me would be more evidence of an unstable mind than loving me would be."

Rory swatted his arm. "Do you have any good CD's in here?" she asked, skillfully changing the topic.

"Why do you always ask that? You spend almost as much time in here as I do, so you certainly know just as well as I do what music I keep in here."

"Hey! Nothing is ever certain. Maybe you took some of them into your suite since I was last in here," she defended herself.

"And when would I have had time to do that? The last time I used this hunk of junk was on Tuesday. With you," he added pointedly.

Rory rolled her eyes at him while she stuck a CD in the player. As the familiar strains started up, Finn groaned. "Must we always listen to Queen?"

"Yes. It's the only halfway decent music you have in here."

This time Finn rolled his eyes but didn't object, and returned his eyes to the road. Right as Another One Bites the Dust ended, they pulled up at their destination. Using the key that had been gifted to Rory, they snuck into the residence and up the stairs. Once the door was closed, they shed the pretense of secrecy, turning on the lights. As Rory made the popcorn Finn headed into the other room to ready the movie.

Three minutes later, they made themselves comfortable on the couch and Finn pressed play.

"What are we watching?" Rory asked curiously. Usually, Finn let Rory pick the movies, but this week he had insisted on picking them out.

Finn paused the movie again, having decided to make it a game. "How 'bout I give you some hints?"

Rory sighed. "Alright, I'm game."

"My favorite actress."

"I still don't know why you like Julia Roberts so much," Rory griped, but gestured for him to continue.

"A pair of movies – the original and the sequel."

"Ok," she filed away the information.

"Julia Roberts playing a character who has to pretend to be Julia Roberts."

Rory sighed. "That gave it away." Finn looked at her expectantly, and she identified the movies. "Oceans Eleven and Oceans Twelve."

"Don't get too mad at me, I picked them out as much for your enjoyment as for mine." At Rory's raised eyebrow, he continued. "I get Julia, you get George."

"Damn you for knowing my secret obsession with Clooney," she said, but Finn could tell she really was pleased.

In the morning, Rory woke up. No longer did she get disoriented waking up here, and in her mind, that really was telling.

Finn arm was draped possessively around her waist, and she tried to disentangle herself without waking him up. While she did manage that, unfortunately her muscles chose to protest the night spent on the couch and a moan escaped her mouth.

"'s wrong?" asked Finn groggily. Rory smiled. Finn wasn't disoriented here either.

"We really should remember not to fall asleep on the couch when there's such an inviting bed just a couple of feet away."

Finn laughed. "You say that every week," he reminded her as he reached up to massage her neck and shoulders. "And every week we end up sleeping on the couch."

"And whose fault is that?"

"I really should know better than to try to reason with you before you get caffeine in your system," Finn lamented as they both stood up. "I'll go sneak a cup up here, you go shower."

"You're a god," Rory said emphatically as she padded across the floor to the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah, just remember that," Finn called after her.

Finn let himself out of the apartment and down the stairs where he nearly smacked into Luke. "She needs coffee," he said by way of greeting.

"And so do you, by the sound of things," grumped Luke. He quickly poured Finn a cup of coffee. Although Finn wasn't the connoisseur of coffee that the Gilmore girls were, Luke had come to discover that it was just as essential to wake Finn up.

"So, what was it last night?"

"Oceans Eleven and Twelve."

"Lucky you. Lorelai made me watch Two Weeks Notice and Miss Congeniality."

"Sandra Bullock," observed Finn wisely.

"Evidently, she can't decide which one is better. From what I managed to decipher, she thinks Two Weeks Notice has the better plot, but it has a, and I quote, sad lack of Benjamin Bratt, end quote."

"I can see where she's coming from, although I myself always have been partial to Hugh Grant," said Finn airily.

"You are just as bad as they are," said Luke with a roll of his eyes before moving away to serve other early morning customers.

Finn chuckled – it was too easy to get under Luke's skin – before grabbing the second cup of coffee Luke had left on the counter for Rory and carrying it upstairs.

Rory was sitting, curled up in a chair reading a book she had randomly grabbed off a shelf. She was fully dressed, much to Finn's disappointment, but her wet hair was up in a bright fuchsia towel. Finn always wondered where she found such feminine things in Luke's old apartment – though he had a hunch that it had something to do with Lorelai.

Without saying a word, Finn made his way over to her and stuck the coffee cup under her nose. She looked up, and it appeared as though she wanted to say something, but took a sip of the coffee first. When she finished the coffee, she looked up at him where he had perched himself on the armrest of the chair, trying to read over her shoulder.

"What took you so long," she asked. "Did you get lost on your way down?"

"Silly girl. Luke was being cantankerous."

"Sure he was," she said, her tone disbelieving. "You just wanted to get your coffee first."

Finn laughed. She knew him too well. "Well, that too."

She swatted at his head. "Go shower."

Finn let out an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, mother."

"You know you love me," she countered.

"Certainly," he said as he headed to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, both emerged into the diner. Lorelai looked up from her perch on her stool. "Fruit of my loins!"

Rory glared at her. "Can't you think of a better name for me?"

"Honey, I did. Your name is Lorelai."

"Well then why don't you call me that?"

"Because it would seem like I was referring to myself in third person. That would be creepy."

Finn watched the exchange with amusement. You never knew what to expect with those two. He leaned over the counter to whisper conspiratorially to Luke. "So, do you think you could score me a beer?"

Luke glared at him. "You ask that every week. What do you think the answer is?"

Finn shrugged. "Never hurts to ask, right?"

Rory looked over at them. "Finn, you never learn do you?"

"Whatever do you mean, Rory darling?" he asked, the picture of innocence.

"Don't 'Rory darling' me. You asked Luke for a beer!"

"I can't believe you would accuse me of such a thing," Finn said, mock insulted.

"Even if it's true?" Rory countered.

"Especially if," said Finn primly. They held each others gaze a moment before doubling over in laughter in unison.

Lorelai looked on quietly, reminiscing about them. Finn was good for Rory. He didn't let her take herself, or life, too seriously. Lorelai liked Finn, she really did. Of course that went without saying seeing as how she convinced Luke to give Rory the key to the apartment so they could have a place to go to be alone. She knew she could trust Finn to treat Rory the way she deserved to be treated.

"So," Lorelai spoke up, "everything still going good?"

Finn nodded his head emphatically. Rory spoke up. "Nobody suspects, if that's what you mean," she said, reading between the lines of her mother's statement. "With their observation skills so poor, it's amazing any of them ever made it into Yale."

Finn patted her hand. "Rory, Rory," he said condescendingly. "They got into Yale because of their money, not because of their merit."

"You are far too cynical."

"I prefer distrustful, thank you."

Lorelai butted in again. "What are you planning on doing today?"

Rory and Finn looked at each other. Finn spoke up. "I don't think we have too much specifically planned. Make the rounds through town, maybe study a bit," he winked at Rory. Lorelai caught the wink.

"I don't foresee too much studying in your future," she said knowingly.

"Mom!" Rory blushed crimson.

The day went far too quickly for both Finn and Rory. Before they knew it, it was midnight again, and they snuck back to Yale.

The next night, Rory walked into the Pub. Immediately she spotted the three musketeers hanging out in a booth in the corner. She walked casually to the bar and chatted with the barkeep.

Finn looked up and Rory caught his gaze. Unconsciously he scratched his right ear. Noticing the gesture, Rory smirked. She walked over to their table.

"Hey," she greeted Logan, Colin, and Finn.

She leaned on the table and turned to Finn. "I'm sorry, I forgot. Was the right ear you call me or I call you?"

Finn looked momentarily confused and then he remembered what she was talking about. "I do believe the right ear was that you call me."

Rory nodded. "I think you're right."

"You really should call me. We could have fun!"

"You are such an optimist." She straightened up.

"Yesterday I was cynical, today I'm an optimist?"

"Precisely," she said as she starting walking away.

"Ror!" Finn called as he stood up.

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"Do you know what today is?"

Rory was confused. "Uh, Monday?"

"I'm disappointed. Today is our six month anniversary." Finn said it casually.

Logan and Colin were staring at Rory and Finn. Rory was floored. Finn had insisted they keep the relationship a secret, and she had acquiesced (it was fun sneaking around campus and being open about it in Stars Hollow). Here he was casually interjecting it in conversation, in front of his friends. Her eyes filled up with tears and she launched herself into his arms, kissing him passionately.

"Happy anniversary, Rory." Finn smiled at her surprise.

"Happy anniversary, Finn." Rory beamed at him.

Colin, who had watched the whole exchange quietly, stuck his hand in front of Logan's nose.

"What?" Logan asked, never taking his eyes off of the happy couple in front of him.

"I do believe you owe me some money."

"Money?" Logan finally tore his gaze from Finn and Rory to look at Colin in disbelief.

"Yeah. Let's see. I believe you bet that Finn could never have a committed relationship, that Finn could never keep a secret, that Finn would never fall for anyone without red hair, and that Finn would never ask out Rory Gilmore."

Logan glared at him.

Rory and Finn, although seemingly oblivious to the entire exchange, had heard the entire thing and smirked to each other as they walked out of the pub, hand in hand.

* * *

**AN: This is dedicated to Problem Child1. Long live Rory/Finn!**

**I am a review junkie. Hint-hint! -Rebecca**


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